Saakashvili Furious over Russian Media Coverage of Ukraine
Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili harshly slammed the way developments in Ukraine are covered by, as he put it, ?the newspapers of one of our neighboring countries? making a clear hint to Russia.
?Just take a look what a bacchanalia [sic] takes place in some of the newspapers in one of our neighboring countries. There is a horrible bacchanalia [sic] which concerns Ukraine and which mainly concerns us as well,? Saakashvili said while addressing the staff of the Georgian State Security Ministry.
The speech was partially broadcasted by Georgian television stations.
?They have forgotten that Ukraine is a different state, which has its own problems. And these problems were triggered as a result of external interference? Ukrainian people were subjected to an attempt of imposing political will by the external forces. But Georgia became a major target as well. I have looked through the newspapers and 17 articles out of 20 which report about Ukraine are also about Georgia and personally about me,? Mikheil Saakashvili said.
President Saakashvili also added that the Georgian authorities are ready to cooperate with any state ?within the frames of Georgia?s interests.?
Georgian authorities have made no secret about the fact that they sympathize with the Ukrainian opposition leader Victor Yushchenko.
Georgian Prime Minister Zurab Zhvania expressed confidence that the opposition will succeed in Ukraine. ?It is impossible not to win when a million Ukrainians are protesting in the freezing cold,? Zhvania told reporters on November 30.
In his article published by The International Herald Tribune on November 30 President Saakashvili said that the message of Georgia?s Rose Revolution ?is widely spreading in the region.?
??democracy is universal and can be successful in post-Soviet states,? Saakashvili says, adding that Georgia is ?carefully watching similar events in Ukraine.?
